Week 64 - A Bunch of Miracles

Hey guys!

Hope you all had a great week! This week for us was super busy. I've never felt so tired, but it was a really good week. We saw a bunch of miracles and yesterday was one of the best days of my mission.

So anyway, last Monday we went to buy some food at the tico version of Costco, which is almost exactly the same, it's just blue instead of red. It's always so much fun to go though because David, our recent convert, takes us and we just go crazy, buying a ton of very healthy, very nutritious things to pig out on. Our splurge from this trip was a box of Red Baron personal pizzas. Such a good investment haha!

Tuesday we had to run over to get keys to the satellite controls in the stake center for the broadcast we had on Wednesday. We stopped by to see if we could figure it out on our own, but after about 15 frustrating minutes of pushing buttons and trying to figure out how to get the signal to connect to the projector, we gave up. Later that night, a member showed us that all we were missing was a small cable that connected the projector to the satellite signal. It's hard to explain exactly, but you get the point. One of those humbling moments.

Wednesday we had the broadcast and it was really good. A few apostles spoke and just gave us some great insight on how to be better missionaries. After that, I went on divisions to go do some baptismal interviews. One of them was for a blind man who had had dreams of the missionaries and the church and knew exactly what they looked like without ever having seen them before. Really special interview.

Thursday we had some great lessons and then got to play basketball with some members and investigators. I'm still not a huge fan of basketball, but it was a nice change form soccer!

Friday was pretty normal too, we got to play soccer that night, which got me pretty tired after.

Saturday we went to go machete chopping again, and Elder Davis almost killed me again haha. Then we just spent the rest of the day passing by investigators to make sure they were going to come to church.

Sunday we woke up early and went to go pick up some investigators. One of the new investigators we had found this week came out all dressed up in his suit and was super excited for church. When we got there, it was the most full I had seen the chapel since we started the branch. A ton of less actives and investigators showed up and it was a really special meeting. After church we had some great lessons and then finished the night with Mauren and David, the guy who takes us to Costco. They gave us a great dinner and then we were just talking and almost out of nowhere, David tells us that even if we don't think we have success on our missions, we can always count on the fact that we've made a difference in his life. He told us how grateful he was for us and what we've done for him and that he knows we'll always be friends and when we see each other on the other side, he'll be there to thank us and give us a hug. And I know it's nothing that I did and I don't tell that to you guys to say that I'm some great missionary, but it was just one of the most comforting and sincere things I've ever heard and I'm so grateful for the chance that I have to be here and to help other people come to Christ. Even though I'm not perfect and I mess up constantly, the Lord trusts me enough to let me do a small part of His work. Hearing that last night made everything worth it. All the tough days, all the disappointments, are all worth it to just know that I've helped one person change his life.

I love you all! Have a great week! 

Elder Hansen

Week 63 - Doing great, loving life

Hey guys!!

Well pretty normal week this week. Not too much to report, other than the fact that they've put up the new EFY music so we're having a little party in the family history center haha its a really big deal because we're all sick of the old efy music haha.

So this week Elder Davis got a weird infection on his leg which made this week a little interesting haha I won't go into details, but that thing was nasty. Its getting better now, but it was really hurting him, so we had to take it easy this week.

We found some really good new families and had some really great support from the members this week. We went on divisions with the counselors in the branch presidency and it was so great to see how much they genuinely wanted to work with us and supprot the missionary work. I love this branch so much. 

Gave a talk on Sunday about the Book of Mormon and how it should be a treasure for us. It's a lot easier to give talks when there's only 40 people there haha 

Well, almost out of time, so I just want to tell you all how much I love you! Sorry this email was so short, but I'm doing great, loving life, have a great week everybody!

Elder Hansen

Week 62 - 2016 off to a good start

Making tortillas

Hey fam!

Hope the new year is going great for you guys! This week was another good one for us. Went by way too fast as always so we'll see what all I can remember.

Monday we had changes and they were a little different this time. Instead of having a big meeting in the office with everyone that had changes, President decided to just send everyone straight to their new areas from their current ones. So all the missionaries with changes came to the stake center and from there we sent them in taxi or bus, alone, to the bus station for their new zone and from there they took the bus to the stake center of their new zone. We all thought it was going to be a crazy mess, but it worked out pretty smoothly, only one elder got lost on his way haha.

On Tuesday, we were out looking for new people to teach and we saw an open door, which here is like a goldmine. When we got there, the family accepted us in really kindly and when we started introducing ourselves, just stopped us and the mom said, "we know who you are, we're members" haha so we kept talking and then when we offered to sing a hymn for them, they went back to grab their hymn books. When they came back, they had some of the older edition hymn books from like 1970, which has different hymns and different words and is just a relic now. We both got super pumped (because only as missionaries you get pumped about old church books) and they must have seen it on our faces because they asked us if we wanted to see it. After geeking out about it for a few mintues, the mom comes back with a super old Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Seeing how excited we got haha they offered to let us keep them, saying you guys are like kids in a toy store, just keep them" haha Elder Davis took the DC and I took the BoM and its one of my most prized possessions now!

Saturday, we went to go chop again as you can see from the picture. This time we bought gloves, but even then I still popped another huge blister on my thumb haha but it's been really fun, best service ever.

Sunday was another great day. The branch is going strong. A lot of work to do, but we're seeing progress. That night, our last appointment fell through so we went to go look for someone else and found a few of our buddies outside of their house. One of them had drunk a little too much that night and when we got there starting preaching to us basically. Elder Davis started talking more with the guy who hadn't been drinking, and I just let the other one talk out everything he wanted to say haha He was actually saying some really good things, like that we should trust God in everything and love Him and love everyone else so I started clapping a little and getting him more pumped up and then all of the sudden, he jumps up and stands right in front of me and tells me how much he loves God and loves me and loves the world and it was the greatest speech I've heard a drunk man give haha. It was a great way to end the night!

Well, love you guys a ton. have a great week! Talk to you soon!

Elder Hansen

Week 61 - Happy New Year!

The baptism - President and Sister Hayes came!

Hey Fam!

Happy New Year!!!

Well super good week this week!

On Saturday we had the wedding of David and Maureen which was super great. Everything went perfect, and they loved it. Then the baptism was great on Sunday. We had it at 7 am but it was awesome. They were both so excited and after, Josue, the son, wanted to get baptized again haha.

David y Maureen wedding

Wedding selfie

Saturday morning, we went to help a less active cut grass by where he works. In Costa Rica, almost nobody has a lawn mower or weedwacker so they use machetes. Super tuanis [cool]. I've now got a new way to do yard work, Mom!

Blister from cutting grass with a machete

New Year's Eve was pretty low key, we went to eat with a few members, but I felt like the party killers because whenever we showed up, they turned the music off and everyone was a lot less excited haha, but oh well, the food was good! That night we busted out the hot chocolate and some cookies they'd given us for Christmas. That night, I was so tired I fell asleep before 10:00 and didn't even wake up when all the fireworks went off at midnight haha happy new year!

New Year's Eve feast

Also, on Friday night, we were waiting for the bus to head home, when a man who had drunk a little too much that night came over and sat on the curb a few feet from us. He started talking to himself and then turned around and starting talking to us, obviously angry about something. After about 2 mintutes of him yelling, I got the impression to just sing a hymn. At almost the same time, Elder Davis and I started singing the Spirit of God and almost immediately, the man calmed down and just listened to us. When we finished the first verse, the bus came around the corner and we hopped on. I don't know if he understood anything we said, but I felt the spirit so strongly. Just a really special moment that night.

But I gotta take off. Happy New Year everybody! Love you a ton!

Elder Hansen

We got a little lost...

Pretty cool sunset